Levo SL Gen 1 Levo SL - Comp Carbon vs Expert?

[miPbiP]

can anyone who know about bits assess the VFM/benefits of the Expert over the Comp Carbon please, for the £1500 price difference.

ta

Turbo Levo SL Comp Carbon | Specialized.com

Turbo Levo SL Expert Carbon | Specialized.com

 

[All Mountain Coaching]

It seems about fair tbh. Carbon rims, drivetrain upgrade. It's your money. Just got to decide what you can afford. If I were adding my own bits to it or upgrade, I'd look at it differently.

 

[TorAtle]

I was under the assumption that the Expert came with the extender, but it is not mentioned on the spec website so I guess it's not. I'm adding AXS dropper & derailleur so am leaning towards the Comp carbon at the moment.

How much worse is the fork? Is it upgradable?

 

[p3eps]

Better / lighter groupset.
Carbon rims (would cost approx £1200 to buy)
Better specced fork
Better brakes

I’m going to change my seat post for the Reverb AXS, and put on the AXS upgrade kit. Also going to change the bars / stem to the ENVE carbon ones I have on my Stumpjumper at the moment.
Will see how that works out before making any other mods.

 

[Blinkie]

I'm currently toying with comp version and swapping forks and brakes out for my prefered choice. This in my head is costing £1k ish less what I can get for Forks and brakes taken off

wheels and drive train can changed later on once they are done

I have spare carbon bars to add and a better saddle (for me) to swap out already

 

[jcmonty]

On the fork - the standard Fox 34 Performance Elite comes with the FIT4 damper, but on the expert - it says “Grip”, which to me seems a slight downgrade (debateable). Do we know if the 34 PE on the expert comes with the EVOL airspring? If not, you are really just paying for a slightly more lightweight chassis IMO in terms of the fork difference.

Otherwise, the carbon wheels, GX drivetrain and brakes are the upgrades. GX is probably worth it. Carbon wheels.. I would probably go a different route than the rovals anyways.

My thought is to go with a stiffer maybe 160mm fork eventually anyways. - so maybe the Comp is the way to go

 

[TorAtle]

So here is one review that says the Expert comes with the range extender: Exclusive review: New sub 17 kg Specialized S-Works Levo SL 2020 with a brand new motor concept – a new way of riding bikes? | E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine.

Anyone know for certain? I would pick the Expert if it came with.

 

[snowbro]

The fit4 is an old damper, the grip 2 is what you want. I dont know why it's only in the 36/40. The regular grip damper is good for most people, but it dives too much for advanced riders. Either way, I would rip that fox 34 off immediately. Too bad they wont sell the frame.

 

[Rob Rides EMTB]

So here is one review that says the Expert comes with the range extender: Exclusive review: New sub 17 kg Specialized S-Works Levo SL 2020 with a brand new motor concept – a new way of riding bikes? | E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine.

Anyone know for certain? I would pick the Expert if it came with.

It doesn’t. On S-Works (and founders)

 

[escrs]

Its interesting that each frame is now full carbon and they are all 11m fact carbon

From the comp to the S-Woks each frame is identical the only difference is the build spec

I wonder if this will lead the way to a frame motor and battery only option?

Specialized could go down the route of Transition bikes who sell their bikes as build kits

You choose your model of frame and then the level of build kit you want, then they ship the frame and build kit to the shop who then build the bike up, or you can just buy the frame only

Advantages are you don't have lots of complete bikes of one particular build spec to sell, if your not shifting the frame motor and battery only option then you can make more build kits to sell them as complete bikes, if your selling lots of frame, motor and battery option framesets and you have spare build kits then these can be sold off as build kits only or broke down and sell the components separately

 

[miPbiP]

All Spesh supply chains and processes are set up to sell full builds. I don't see they have a great incentive to sell frame kits. Plus likely they and dealers don't wan the warranty complications of serving self-builders.

Put yourself in their shoes - where's the upside?

I don't expect to see this happen.

 

[escrs]

Who knows, It works for Transition bikes quite well

The upside is they would sell more bikes/frames

Personally i wont be buying another complete e bike, i want a frame, motor and battery only

My 2020 Levo Expert cost me 6K+ (great discount from Chris@Berkshire Cycles)

The spec is poor for the price and some of the components arent fit for purpose (wheels) Ive had to change everything apart the saddle, rear mech, cassette, shifter and chain at a cost of 2k+

In 30+ years of buying and building up my own bikes only the 3 last bikes i bought have been completes (all Specialized e bikes) every other bike Ive owned Ive built to my spec from a frame only

Specialized offer their normal frames as a frame only option so cant see why they cant do the same for the SL or normal Levo as a frame, motor, battery with the associated wiring/TCU

 

[miPbiP]

Certainly it would be nice to have the option - would help me justify an SL if I could use the parts from my Levo.

 

[escrs]

Exactly my thinking, build an SL frameset using my existing parts then sell on the Levo frame, motor, battery to someone who can build it up using their normal bike for the parts then they sell on their old frame to recoup some money

That way i get a new frame cheaper than buying a new bike, the person who buys my Levo frame, motor and battery can have an e bike alot cheaper than if they had to buy a complete one and Specailzed sell more frames, its a win win situation all round

 

[Zimmerframe]

It doesn’t. On S-Works (and founders)

Two with the founders.

 

[jcmonty]

Fwiw I emailed specialized, and they confirmed grip damper in the “performance elite fork” on the expert.

 

[Fivetones]

Fwiw I emailed specialized, and they confirmed grip damper in the “performance elite fork” on the expert.

I struggle to believe that’s true. The Performance Elite on the Expert is one of the things that sets it apart from the Comp Carbon with its Performance GRIP fork.

In fact, do we know if the forks they’ve used are the 34e (e-bike specific) or the regular 34?

 

[jcmonty]

I struggle to believe that’s true. The Performance Elite on the Expert is one of the things that sets it apart from the Comp Carbon with its Performance GRIP fork.

In fact, do we know if the forks they’ve used are the 34e (e-bike specific) or the regular 34?

I found it strange as well given what I know about the forks and what was displayed on the specialized site. That’s why I emailed them directly .
not sure on the e bike specific or regular

 

[Fivetones]

There’s a discrepancy between the spec on the Specialized Concept store sit’s and the main Specialized site (UK).The main Specialized site has Performance and Rhythm listed. That’s basically the same as what you found out (Concept store has performance elite and performance for the two models - which is wrong. The pics of the Expert also back this up if you look at the top of the fork).